Note: The lifo files are storaged in alphabetical order, they are grouped like this:
- "A" to "E" - objects07.package
- "F" to "N" - objects08.package
- "O" to "W" and some numbers - objects09.package

Example: New color to the Fridge Moderate

Launch SimPE and open objects02.package. Select "Name Map" and go to Plugin View tab. Search for fridgemoderate using the "Finder" box. Choose one from those that appeared and copy the instance. I chose the white one: "fridgemoderatestainless_fridgefront_white".

Copy the Instance ID and paste in "Instance Filter".

After you select "Material Description" in Filetypes, right click on the file that shows in Packed Files and click Extract - create a folder for this project on your computer.

Remove the value you pasted into Instance Filter and open objects06.package. Search in "Name Maps" for the correct file (fridgemoderatestainless_white_txtr) and copy the instance number.

Paste it into Instance Filter, select "Texture Images" on Filetypes and extract it to the same folder as before (your projects folder).

Now go to LIFOs package and search in Name Maps for your file. All the textures are referenced to 2 lifo files (nameofthetexture0_lifo and nameofthetexture1_lifo - see the pic).

Copy and paste the right instances to Instance Filter of both files and right click to extract it.

Now open the Materials.package (EA Games/The Sims 2/TSData/Res/Catalog/Materials/materials.package) To find the right MMAT of this texture, download this file, open MMAT.txt and search for the name you want.

When you find it, paste the instance in "Instance Filter" and this will show the right file to extract.

Now in SimPE go to File/New. Right click on the "Packed Files" area and click "add...".

Go to the directory with the files you have extracted. When the box opens, select in File Types "Extracted File Description (simpe.xml)" and import all the files to your new package.

Go to File/Save As... and choose a name for the package.
Please, use the name of the artist or nickname + description (like: pinhead-newtexturefridge.package) when you create a package so that the name for the hash generated in the process is unique and don't conflict with other user's objects!

Now select Texture Image and go to Plugin View tab. Select the Lifo reference (nameofthetexture0_lifo) showed on the box with image's sizes and right click On the "missing" image for select "Import Local LIFO".

Select the other Lifo reference (nameofthetexture1_lifo) and repeat the last step.

Select again the Big image (should be the last image on the list) and right click on the image. Select Export. SimPE will export the image as .PNG file. Select one local for store the file to open it in Photoshop or other image editing program.

After you had the image edited, right click on the image again (in SimPE Plugin View) and select Import. Go to your file and import it.
Now, right click again on the image and select "Update All Sizes". This will make with SimPE generate all the others sizes to the texture automatic!

Now you will need to rename the texture. change the name to anything you want (I suggest you use name of the artist + description to avoid future conflicts).

Click in "Assign Hash" and the name of the texture will change again with some numbers infront.
Those numbers are essential to our objects working in the game.

Then click Fix TGI and after that click in "Save" on Plugin View (it is like the commit button).

Now select Model Material (the new versions of SimPE now call it Material Override). Go to Plugin View and change the "name (dtString)" to the name of the texture but change the hyphens to underline:
like: #0x7f1063e1!pinhead_fridgemoderate001.
Click in "change" button after changed the value.

Now, Select on the CPF Editor the "family (dtString)" and after that go to Plugins Menu of SimPE and select "Hash Generator". This little tool will help you to create a Hash GUID and will generate a unique value for "family (dtString)"
In the Hash Generator tool, select GUID and copy the value and replace the existing one. Click on "change" button and after that hit "commit".
Make sure that "defaultMaterial(dtBoolean)" is set to False. If don't, change "True" to "False".

Select "Material Description". Go to Plugin View and look for the names fridgemoderate in MATD Editor.

Change the filename to the same name as the texture with the hash included. But need to change hyphens to underline:

The name has to be: #0x7f1063e1!pinhead_fridgemoderate001_txmt.

Click on "stdMatBaseTextureName" in the "Properties" tab and change the value to the same name as the texture (like: #0x7f1063e1!pinhead-fridgemoderate001). DON'T need change hyphens to underline.
In description use the name of the texture without the hash (like: pinhead_fridgemoderate001). Change hyphens to underline

Click in MATD's "File List" tab and change the name to the same name of the texture (like: #0x7f1063e1!pinhead-fridgemoderate001 ). DON'T need to change hyphens to underline.
The fridge have other name with the texture on MATD called: reflectionkitchenhighcontrast-envcube - DON'T CHANGE THIS!
You just need to change all the references of the old texture.
Click "Assign Hash" and "Fix TGI"
After that hit "Commit" and go to "File/Save".

Note: Sometimes the changes don't save, so click on another Filetype and return to "Material Description" and see if the changes are made to it.

Now we need to change the values of the Group ID of all Files to match the Hash number of the texture name.
In "FileTypes" select the dots to see all the file types showing in "Packed Files" space.
You will see "Material Description", "Model Material", two "Large Image Files" and "Texture Image".
Select "Texture Image" and, in Plugin View tab, copy the numbers that are infront of the texture's name.

Now exit the Plugin View tab clicking in "Packed File" tab that is next to it.
Change the value of the Group to the hash number that was infront of your texture's name.
Hit "change all listed" and this will change all the files to use the same Group ID.
Click "commit" and go to File/Save in SimPE Menu.

Select "Model Material" and just change the Instance ID to 0x00000001.
Note: Always use this value in all of your creations.
Hit "commit" and go to File/Save

Delete the two "Large Image File" of the package and go to File/Save
(you don't need them)
For securely, check the values and see if all Groups values are equal and the Instance ID of Model Material is set to 0x00000001.

Now you are done!!
Put the new package in Downloads folder and you have a new fridge to choose.

NOTE: Later i will include little advices on how to work with one object that have 2 states (dirty and clean). For now you can see the other thread and read it to find how to do it right.

After your created package is done, select the texture image and click with the right mouse button on it and choose "Extract" (IN SimPE!!!)
Other thing, Isn't in PlugIn View!! The right click is on Packed Files part.

Open TXTR Extractor and go to the .simpe file that you extracted.
You will see the texture in the Viewer and the name will show in the box upper left.

Copy the name of the texture (incluing the extension like: #0x76f3cd25!pinhead-alienware4_txtr )

Select File/New in the program menu.

A box will open. In the first space you have to select the edited .BMP file.

*** Everytime i create a new texture, i use LIFO #0 (512 pixels on the bigger size) of that object color to edit. And i suggest you use this method also. When i'm looking for the LIFO, i don't extract only the image. I extract the LIFO, with .simpe extension, and i open this file in TXTR Extractor. Then i export using TXTR Extractor. It will create a .BMP file with alpha channel included and it will save this .BMP in tXtr extractor's folder under "export" subfolder.

The second space you have to select the .simpe file (the Texture Image file that you exported)
In the TXTR Format box, you have to select the apropriate mode of the base texture.
the next box you can choose the number of Mipmaps to be create. (look the number of default mipmaps that your object have, if it have more or less than 10 Mipmaps you have to uncheck the box and select the right number)
In texture name you have to paste the name of your texture with the extension _txtr on there.

Go to SimPE and open your package.
Select the Texture Image (Packed Files area) and right click on it. Select "Replace" and choose the same .simpe Texture Image that you exported and edited with TXTR Extractor.
Click File/Save (don't need to click in "Save" on the plugin View tab).

I hope this helps the people with problems in show up the textures correctly

You can donwload now the German version (html and PDF), translated by Rado (moderator of http://www.sims.de)
PS:. The TXTR Extractor tutorial was not included.

I've followed the directions by Pinhead, to add my own custom content and when I load the Sims2 up, it only shows black spots or nothing at all for the item.

Also, I can't even figure out what I'm looking at when I try to make things. Chairs, columns, windows, etc. It's all screwed up when I load it into my paint program. Help! I've been trying to make something, ANYTHING, for the last week.

This is a picture of the Morrocan Armoire. How do I make my own? How do I make anything?

Thanks for taking the time to write this tute.
I wanted to try it out on something small like the cheap alarm clock, but that raises a few questions.
First, it has only 1 LIFO file? Only ends in 0? No file ending with 1?
And there is a broken state as well I think. Do I have to alter that one too?
Also, SimPE jams up whenever I try to load the Directory of Compressed Files (the materials.package) as I cannot find the filename for the alarm clock in the mmat text file you have provided.

Help! I'm trying to follow this tutorial and got down to d/ling the MMAT, which I did and opened "Materials.package" in SimPe, but the pic on the tutorial and what I see in my SimPE are different! On the left under Filetypes the tutorial shows "Directory of Compressed Files" and what looks like "Model Material." In my SimPE I see, in the same area under Filetypes, I see "Directory of Compressed Files," "Name Map" and "Programming Script!" I'm totally stumped by the difference even though I've followed this tutorial to the letter. Could somebody please help? I have SimPE v12p and have included a couple of pics. Thanks!

Help! I'm trying to follow this tutorial and got down to d/ling the MMAT, which I did and opened "Materials.package" in SimPe, but the pic on the tutorial and what I see in my SimPE are different! On the left under Filetypes the tutorial shows "Directory of Compressed Files" and what looks like "Model Material." In my SimPE I see, in the same area under Filetypes, I see "Directory of Compressed Files," "Name Map" and "Programming Script!" I'm totally stumped by the difference even though I've followed this tutorial to the letter. Could somebody please help? I have SimPE v12p and have included a couple of pics. Thanks!

I am new to SimPe, and recolor. I have downloaded the file SimPe, Txtr, and MMAT. MMAT is a txt file so where does this go once you extract it, if at all. I am lost. Is there any other way to recolor. If there are more files that I need then please let me know. I have SimPE up and running, but after that I am having a problem, when I import the file back into the game, after save where do I go to package the file.

I know I must not be making much sense, but as you can see I am confussed.

i am following your directions to the t. but when i get to the part of opening the lifo i am totally lost. when i click on the name map nothing shows up. i have extracted everything and did everything you said to do.

i love what people can do with simpe, but i was just wondering if anyone had any idea where i went wrong:
i followed the tutorial, but when i played the game, my new recolored object (it was the bear chair) was just blue. no texture. just blue. sooo.. if someone knows what i did wrong or where it happened... um.. please help me? i'm not very smart.